Alone & Hopeless
by Harpy Link
Summary: Life, it's a precious gift given by the Gods. How that life comes to the world is their decision. This time, they've chosen the bearer of Courage. His life is about to take a drastic turn, for better or worse. Warning: Mpreg and Link X Ilia.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: How are you today, you have chosen to read a Legend of Zelda fanfiction today! Horray... Unfortunately for you, this is one of those "Strange" Stories. The type that makes fanboys cry in their sleep and fangirls red in the face. I know Fanboys will cry, because... LINK IS WITH CHILD, You heard me bitches, Link's P.R.E.G.N.A.N.T. 8D, and the Fangirls. Ilia is Link's friend! Oh Gods no! DX She made Ilia HUMAN! OH NO! **_

_**So anyway, hinted pairings that you will see through out the story. **_

_**Link X Ilia **_

_**Link X Midna **_

_**Now, if you're still here, and are open-minded, go on, please read. I do hope you enjoy this, and please note, this is just chapter one, it gets much better and more uplifting as we go. Oh, I almost forgot, this is a Twilight Princess AU, so don't expect to see some faces, and Uli only has Colin, she's not having her second child yet. **_

_Based off of a pick I drew on deviantART, Mpreg by heavenly intervention. _

_Link _

Honestly I didn't want to do this, I never even knew. But I was stuck.

Stuck in a situation I had no way out off. And now, I'm screwed for life.

And it's my fault. No, it's my fathers. Damn him and his legendary bloodline!

Now I have to continue the lineage and take the test of the Goddesses. Why couldn't someone tell me what this test was? I never would have thought I would have to bring a child to term by myself! And how in the hell am I going to do that!? Am I going to start turning into a woman, or am I going to magically get a damn birth canal? Oh who am I kidding, I won't get that far. It'll probably die way before then. I'd be crushed if it died before it was even born, especially if it was my fault. Me, this was all because of me and that damn mark on my hand. It's cursed, like me. Someone should have cut my left hand off when I was a baby so this all would never have happened. But no, that's the cowards' way out.

I can't start thinking like that, I have to think positive! But how? How can you be positive about something as terrifying as this? Any woman would tell you it's a blessing, that is if you were actually another woman. If you're a man it's more like it's an ill omen and they take their children and run. That's how everyone sees me, a demon signing the end of days. Ugh, why oh why Farore? Why choose me? I'm still a child myself! Why have me bring another one into the world? I don't care anymore about what people think of me; my body's been ravaged enough because of the stretching for me to care about how I look. They shout and jeer, calling me a freak, saying that my child is an abomination, wishing I would die during birth, and other horrible things. No one cares that I'm still just a boy, no one cares that I know nothing about raising a family, no one cares that I don't even know how it's going to come out of me. No one seems to care that I have no home, no family, no money, and no way of working to support myself and a child.

I just feel so alone….Not even the Gods can help me now.

_Ilia _

I saw him again today. He was at the market trying to find work. But the shop keeper turned him down, saying he wasn't worth his time. Everyone just kept staring at him, like he had a disease or something. I didn't see anything wrong with him, maybe a little thick around the middle, but perfectly fine. But that's why everyone was staring. He was the boy everyone was talking about. The one who was being tested by the Goddesses.

I couldn't help but stare for a moment myself, it was so odd, yet it was so bewilderingly cute. A small curve coming from under a heavy shirt, like it was being forced out. If it wasn't for the rumors you wouldn't even suspect a child was inside there.

He placed his palms to the small of his back; the weight was making him sore. I wish I could have offered him a seat, but I was on the other side of the marketplace. I just felt so sorry for him, he was the one who would be yelled at if someone had tripped him and he needed help getting back up. He would be accused of stealing food even if he had just paid for it, with what little money he had. He would be the one on trial for shouting indecent things at someone, when it was he who was being shouted at. I hated these people. Every single one of them. They just treated him lower then dirt, when he should be given help and a warm home.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing here?" Oh no, it was one of the older men of town.

"I'm just resting my legs sir, I won't be too long." He was so timid, I was afraid he would have just got up and ran.

"No, you get out now!" The older man grabbed the boy by his shirt collar, choking him in the process. "Please don't, I beg you!" The boy placed a protective hand on the curve under his shirt. "Why should I, I'd be doing you a favor, getting rid of the abomination."

That was the final straw. I had had enough of this. "You dare try to ruin the work of the Gods!" I shouted.

The boy looked at me; I could see he was frightened beyond all mortal recognition. "Stay out of this girl, this doesn't concern you."

"Well I'm making it concern me! Now put him down!" I could feel my fists shaking as I stood there, glaring at the big oaf. "I said put the boy down, he did nothing to harm you!"

The older man slapped me across the face. "Shut your mouth girl, who are you to be defending this-this-this Horror to the human race!" I could taste blood in between my teeth, but that wasn't going to stop me. The boy was still staring at me in awe; no one had ever tried to defend him before.

"Girl, I."

"Silence you brat!" And with that the man threw him to the ground with an awful THUD. He cried in pain as he hit the floor with his back. "There now that should keep him down for a moment, long enough for us to finally get rid of that sin to nature!"

"NO, you're not going to touch him!"

I'd gotten my second wind. Looking over I saw the boy unconscious, lying on his back, mouth slightly a gape. The poor boy looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"How could you, he never did anything to harm you people and yet to treat him like a Leper, the only thing you see is the fact that he's a pregnant man, not that he's only a boy, not that he has no home to go to, not that he's weak and scared, no you just want him to die because of a technicality." I never noticed that I was crying then, but they needed to come. I needed to help this boy. He needed a friend.

"No, if he was a woman you'd go out of your way to help him wouldn't you? But because he's a man you want him to die, you want to call him hurtful names and keep him away. You forget that this was a test by the Goddesses, it wasn't his choice!" My knees had finally given up. So now I was kneeling right next to him, crying my eyes out.

"Just stop it! Stop it you monsters!" But no one took me seriously. Some of the women came and carried me off whist the men dragged the boy out of town.

_**You know, this story is the thing most people on DA watch me for. It's funny; this was meant to be a bit of a rant. As you can see by the way the towns' folk are treating Link. This is how a lot of people who go against the norm of fandom are treated. Tisn't it a sad thing. Those are the kinds of people who take fandom too seriously, my Gods, let loose; let others have a wee bit of fun! **_

_**Anyway, I know, it's short, trust me, the chapters get much longer from here on out. And they get a lot less emo. **_

_**Please give me nice reviews! If you see any mistakes just let me know, this chapter wasn't originally BETA'd, but I went in and mixed as much as I could. The rest of this story is BETA'd, just to let you know. With Lots of Love, HarpyLink234 **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: (All Editing done by NintendoNut-1, Thank you Kels! You rock woman!) Yup, The great NintendoNut-1 is my BETA. And its stupid, you can't have mutliple ? in a story. ...I kinda needed them for this chapter. **_

_Link_

When I come to, I find myself in the middle of the woods. Those people must have dragged me here, because my shirt's pulled up all the way to my chest, belly exposed. Quickly I pull it back down. I don't want to make things worse for myself. I'm already with child I don't want to catch a cold.

Oh, no! The baby! I hope they didn't do anything to it... I put a hand to my belly, and, thank the gods; the soft glow of the Triforce confirmed that the baby was still alive and well.

I can still hear the words that girl shouted. For the first time in quite a while, I smile.

She actually cared about how I felt, about what was wrong and what I needed.

I hope I'll see her again soon. I feel a breeze come through the trees. "It's getting cold out here," I mumble. Not like the trees care if I talked to myself. "I wonder if there are some branches around here, I might as well make a fire."

I fumble around in the darkness, looking for twigs and fallen branches. Such a task can be quite difficult with a pregnant stomach. Bending over is one thing, but getting back upright is another in itself. After what felt like 3 hours I finally got a small fire burning. "I wonder if this will be enough." In between the random wind gushes and the lack of wood, it seems the fire wouldn't last much longer. This really isn't helping my mood much. As the cold breezes cut into me, and I huddle in as tight a ball as I could manage, to at least keep the baby warm. "What am I going to do...?"

_Ilia_

Those heartless monsters... I'm glad I'm from another village, a not so closed-minded and heartless village. But that's important right now. I'm currently braving the thickets of the forest trying to find him, getting bit by all matters of bugs. Swatting at them, I notice a smell of smoke. There's a fire nearby! I don't care if I know these woods or not, I'm going to find him!

I just hope I'm not too late...

_Unknown_

Boy did I get the bum job. What am I saying; I always get the bum job.

Me, the freaking Princess of the Twilight! Being reduced to a bodyguard for some kid! Unspeakable! Unheard of!

But unfortunately true. Ugh.

And to top that off, I'm stuck in my Demon form again! I HATE looking like an ugly little imp!

...I can't start complaining, I have a job to do.

"What am I going to do...?" That voice is coming from the clearing. That must be my "job". Ugh….

After walking a few feet, I see him through the bushes. A young man, no older then seventeen. So young... too young. I can see it from here; he's the one I was looking for. The abnormal rise in his stomach is proof enough for me.

But I still can't help but feel a pain in my heart as I stare at him. He probably had hopes and dreams; all shattered because he's having a child. I hope he doesn't resent the poor thing.

I creep in to get a closer look, being careful not to expose myself. He was in rags. As expected, he's got obvious money problems. Here I am complaining about having to watch this kid, yet he's suffering so much more then I have in my entire life. Some princess I am!

I now know why I was sent here, to help this poor boy raise his baby, and learn some responsibility.

"So, this is him eh? Not that bad looking actually, could stand to lose a few pounds, but not bad." I muse to myself, lightly giggling to myself at the "losing weight" part.

...uh oh. I can see him tense up, looking about frantically. Crap, I blew my cover…

_Link_

I can feel it. Someone's watching me from beyond the shadows. No, some_**thing**_

I can hear a small sound, giggling. "Okay, show yourself!" I'm getting edgy; pregnancy can make you like that.

"Alright, alright. Hold your horses." D-did it j-just answer back!? Oh man! What did I just get myself into!? It could be anything! I sit there, mentally cursing myself for not bringing a knife or some form of weapon. 'You're such a damn genius! Forgetting to bring a knife, oh yes, you can fight something off while being 4 months pregnant! You fucking moron!'

Then it came out of the brush, grunting as it tries to jiggle its headdress free from the branches. It's no bigger then a dog, but still stood on two legs. It has strange white and black skin with glowing blue marks in bizarre patterns, and it looks distinctly female.

"Gah! Let go of my head you stupid bush!" Its voice sounds female too. "This is pathetic, an all mighty princess, being beaten by a plant!"

Princess? This thing is a princess?!

She finally sighs in defeat, looking up at me with her red eyes while her head was stuck in a sideways angle. "Hey, a little help would be nice."

I don't move. I just stare at her. She glares at me. "Oh come now, you, a pregnant GUY staring at me?"

She knows!? Hesitantly, I grab the side of her headdress and shake it free. She smiles as she fingers the tips of the horn-like arches.

"Yes! Sweet freedom! Take that you stupid bush!" She proceeds to kick the plant into submission.

'This thing is crazy!' I still don't know why I don't just get up and run. It's like something's telling me that... I need her.

After she finished with the plant, she gazes up at me, looking rather interested. "So, what's your name?" she asks in a casual manner. I'm starting to wonder if she really was a princess.

"Link," I sigh. "Yours?"

She grins, showing her single fang, giving a small bow. "I'm Midna, princess of the Twilight Realm. At your service."

"Twilight Realm? What's the Twilight Realm?" I'm starting to get really confused.

Midna sighs and shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I doubt you'll ever have to go there."

_Midna_

"So anyway, why are you here?" Link had calmed down a bit and was in a talkative mood. I had found some more wood for the fire, and now it's flaming hot.

"I was sent here to find you, and guard that." I point at his belly.

He goes back to being defensive. "But how did you know?"

"Well one, the elders TOLD ME, duh. And two, it's pretty damn obvious."

He frowns. "You know, you're rude for a princess."

"Why thank you, I try my best."

We sit in silence for a few more seconds.

"...Midna?"

"Yeah?" He sounds so meek. "Do I, I mean, am I… disturbing?" he asks.

"Why would you think you're disturbing?"

He's about to burst into tears. "Just tell me! Does me being pregnant disgust you?"

Oh, so that's what this was about. I can see it in his eyes; he's hurt and need a friend. "No, you're not disturbing, disgusting, or anything like that." I float over to him and cup his cheek. "Is that why you're out here? Because someone thought you were disturbing?"

"No." He lowers his gaze miserably. "It was the whole town... They all hate me. Every day I try to go around town to get a job or some food, and every day I'm harassed and beaten, told I was a demon, said my baby was an abomination, called a freak... they've even threatened to kill me and the baby!"

I can't believe what I was hearing. And people say that the Gerudo are vicious. These humans are just plain cruel. This is just why I thank the Goddesses everyday that I'm a Twili. I bet that half of them think they're doing the Goddesses' work. HA! What a joke. The child he carries is the Goddesses' sacred work. They should be bowing before him and treating him like a king!

"Link," I whisper into his ear. "They have no idea what they're talking about. You're not disturbing. Believe me, I know disturbing and you're definitely not it."

After a few seconds, I catch a very faint, very fleeting smile cross his battered face.

"Hello, hello? Are you out there!?"

We both jump at the new, distant voice. Now who could that be, out in the middle of the woods on a night like this? I peer over Link's shoulder and I see her, a young girl capering about. She looks about Link's age.

"HELLO? Mister?" She's looking for him too, what a coincidence.

"She's coming over here!" I cry frantically. "I need to hide!"

Link seems pretty understanding. "I'll help you."

"Great! I have to hide somewhere….I got it! Your shadow!" With that, I faze into his shadow, invisible to his and anyone else's eyes. Let's see if the girl is as benevolent as she appears...

_Ilia_

I still can't find the boy! Where on earth could he be...?. "Hey, over here!" I can see a hand waving to me. There he is! "Hello! " I shout. Not caring about what plants I run though, dashing to the voice. I feel nervous; I wonder what he'll be like…. I walk over slowly, carefully avoiding any plants and rocks.

I finally get close enough to see his face. He has such lovely blond hair, incredible blue eyes, I don't know why, but I feel so, so, happy when I'm around him.

"Uh….He-he- Hello." I stammer. "My names Ilia, what's yours?"

"My names Link," He smiles warmly. "It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you also." I feel a slight blush creep onto my face. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Uh, I'm doing alright."

It was quiet for a few moments. I sat down next to him, he gazes over and blushes.

"So uh, what are you doing out here Ilia?"

"I came out here to find you, I was worried about you."

Link jumps a bit. "You came looking for me?" He seems so surprised.

"Yes, you looked so lonely and tired, I want to help you," I take his hand into mine. "I swear, I want to help." He casts his head down.

"You, you really mean it?"

"Yes I do. You don't deserve all of this; you don't deserve to be treated so badly."

A single tear rolls down his cheek. "Ilia, thank you…..Thank you." He wraps me in a firm hug. I smile and run a hand through his hair, it's so soft. Goddesses I promise I'll do my best to help him, I'll try as hard as I can, I hope you give us your blessing.

"Link, do you have a place to stay? A home?"

"No, they brunt it down."

Oh dear, why would they do such a thing? Tormenting him, making threats, and now they destroyed his only home…This is why I want to be with him, to show him not everyone in this world is so afraid of differences. Yes, I want to do this, for him.

"Link, come back with me,"

He stares at me like he's caught in the line of an arrow. "WHAT?! I can't go back to town."

"No, no, come back to my village, to Ordon."

"Ordon?"

"Yes, the people there are very kind and open-minded. And it's so beautiful there."

"Where is it?"

"Outside of the Faron province, so? Will you go?" I lean forward waiting for his answer; I hope it's yes….

"Alright, I have no where else to stay so why not, I'll come with you." He flashes me a wide grin, oh how I love it when he smiles.

"Okay, come with me, I have to get my horse Epona, she'll take us there."

_**AN: So **__**schmaltzy**_ _**... Man, this story is overly **__**schmaltzy**_ **_... Oh well, trying to make people feel something is hard work. ...I just realized, I have to now edit the one I have on DA... AW DAMNIT! Because originally Link felt the little one move, but he hadn't felt a real kick yet, which conflicts too much with the whole" The first kick is the first movment arktard!", so I_** _**d****ecided**** to let the Triforce indicate the baby's health. This makes my life so much easier. :) Anyway, happiness abounds! But it won't last too long... Hehehe...**_ **_Show some support for Linky! He's going to need all of the love he can get! With Lots of Hugs and Hearts, HarpyLink234. _**


	3. Chapter 3

__

**_AN: Hi! It's me again! So here we go! We're starting to get to the more dramatic parts of the story:D I'm sorry in advance for the French man's accent; I'm just now taking French classes, so I'm just learning the accent. This was written a while ago, so I had to edit some of his dialog. I also noticed that I never gave a description of the leader's face. So I've done so now. Enough of my jabbering, on with the show! _**

_Midna_

Eeh hee. So she is a good girl. Good, she might just give Link the care and love he deserves.

I'm still hiding in Link's shadow. Not a bad view actually. Eeehee!

I'm glad his depression is starting to fade away. He doesn't need me at the moment, so I'll get some sleep for now. He can call me when the need arises.

_Link_

Wow, what a beautiful place. We left the Lanayru province just a moment ago and are now entering Faron. "Hey Ilia, is this region safe?" I'm getting too nervous. Nervous of danger, nervous of falling off Epona... this pregnancy thing's really messing with my emotions.

"Sure it is, I've traveled through here plenty of times on my own."

Well….If Ilia says it's safe then it must be.

"FIRE!" I hear a shout from behind us. I turn to see a group of bandits chasing us, shooting at us with arrows.

"Ilia! We go a problem!" I yank on her arm, trying to get her attention.

"I know Link! Epona! Speed it up, girl!" She spurs Epona forward. The horse, sensing danger, dashes onward, knowing the safety of her master is in jeopardy.

"Fire! Don't let them get away!" the leader urges his men toward us. "Must go faster, must go faster!" I peer over my shoulder, fearing for our lives.

"Go away!" Ilia screams. "We have nothing of value! So leave us be!"

He seems to not be listening, because I see him notch another arrow into his bow, and it's aimed at ME! "ILIA!" He closes one eye, aiming carefully at my upper body.

Then….._Whoosh!_

"GAH!" I cry out as the arrow pierces my shoulder. I can feel the blood dripping down my arm.

"He shot my shoulder! The bastard shot my shoulder, Ilia!" I cry out frantically. Slowly my world began growing fuzzy. The arrow must have poison on the tip... Wait, POISON!? The baby! Oh Gods, NO! I frantically start pulling on the arrow shaft, trying to rip it out.

"Link, what are you doing!?"

"The arrow's p-poisoned...!" I couldn't stay focused anymore, so I fell off, my vision failing me as I hit the ground...

_Ilia_

NO! I tug on Epona's rains and urge her to a stop. "Link!" I leap off her back and rush to Link, lifting his head off the ground. "Link, say something!" He was out cold and non-responsive. "LINK…!"

"Stay where you are, girl." Oh no…I glance up to see the bandit leader towering over Link and I. He has such a harsh voice, like a terrible wind in a storm. His eyes were an awful shade of green. The rest of his body was covered by a deep blue uniform.

He holds out his hand commandingly. "Hand over all of your money."

"We have nothing." I tighten my grip on Link's limp body.

He glared down at Link, a rather unsettling grin on his features. "You have him, and he seems to be of value to you."

"What are you saying?!" He raises his arm and swings a wooden club at my head.

_Midna_

Oh HELL No! I'm not about to let some would-be robbers ruin my hard work!

But I have no way of attacking them! Ilia's out cold along with Link! Gods! There has to be something I can do….. Wait, what's that over there? I can see a raccoon rummaging in the bushes.

BINGO!

I see my chance and dash from Link's shadow, to the bandit's, to the raccoon's.

"Okay Mrs. Raccoon." I whisper into her ear. "I need to borrow your body for a moment, so if you would..." The raccoon happily obliges and lets me take over her mind.

"Eehee! Now that I have a body, I can track these bozos down!" I wiggle my semi-finger-like paws and rush towards them.

"What!? Stupid raccoon!" one of the said bozos is coming over here.

"Shoo! Shoo! Beat it!" Oh I'll beat it alright; I'll beat right into your neck! He grabs a sword and starts swinging it at me.

"Scram, you stupid vermin!"

Okay, scratch the 'I'll beat your neck' bit. I jump back from the sword's edge just in time.

I know I don't stand a chance, so I beat a hasty retreat into the bushes.

"Now what am I going to do…?" I sit on a rock as I contemplate my next move.

My tail twitches a little; it must be a raccoon thing.

"These creeps all have swords, I got claws that wouldn't open a letter efficiently. They have horses; I have one horse which I can't control. They have hostages, one pregnant and unconscious, and another just plain out cold. I have nothing….Hummm….I what to do, what to do...maybe..."

Raccoons have enhanced senses, just like any other animal, so maybe I can use them to find something I can use! "Okay, raccoon nose, do your stuff." I take a deep breath and begin sniffing the air for anything unusual. "Huh….I don't smell anything weird….Hold on, that smells like…..like….. Horse Grass." Wherever these guys came from, there was Horse Grass around. But where is there Horse Grass in Faron? I don't know the region, so I can't figure it out!

"Okay, men; help me get this one onto the horse." Those bastards! I see them taking Link and putting him on the lead horse. He's still not moving, I'm growing concerned for the baby. Will the poison affect it?

"But boss, 'e is too eavey." One of the goons had a heavy accent I can't recognize and can barely understand.

"Do it, or I'll ring your neck, Frenchy!" Wow, what a love loss relationship.

"Yes, misur arse-wipe." He glances over to Ilia. "Wat about zee girl?"

"Leave her here, we only need the boy." With that, the leader of the bandits climbs into his saddle, with Link lying motionless on his lap. "We ride!" His goons ready their steeds and ride off after their leader. Now's my chance! I scurry over towards Ilia.

"Hey! Wake up!" I shout into her ear. No response. "Ilia, wake up!" Argh! I don't know what to do!

I suddenly feel my control over the raccoon's body diminish. She must be resisting! "No, you dummy! I'm not done!"

But Mrs. Raccoon would have none of this. Soon I found myself thoroughly booted out and in my normal form.

"DAMN YOU! YOU STUPID RACCOON!" I shake my fist in anger. Gods! What now!?

"Ugh….What's going on…?" Oh no! ILIA!

_Ilia_

Oh Goddesses, my head... What just happened? The last thing I remember was…..Wha-What?! Where's Link!?

No…Oh no….They took Link….Gods, they took Link!

"Link! LINK! Where are you!?" I scan my surroundings, but all I can find is a demon looking thing….Wait? What was that last part!?

I sat there staring at this small cat-like creature. It was staring back at me also, looking like it'd seen a ghost.

"Yo-yo-you…You've seen Link, haven't you!?" I was on my knees, begging it to answer.

"Y-y-yes…I saw him…" It looked down at its feet.

"Which way?"

"Which way...? Uh…They were headed south, I think."

I bow my head, letting my tears fall to the cold earth. "Link, I'm sorry…..I'm so sorry.."

The demon speaks up, determined. "Now, that's no way to talk! We can save him! We just have to work together." It puts a hand on my shoulder. "Look, Ilia, we have to do something. He can't fight them off. We have to try."

"How, how do you know my name?"

"I've been with Link this whole time. My name's Midna." Oh, so it's a girl. Boy, am I embarrassed... "Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry, Midna. I'm just-"

"...fearing for our friend's safety, it's no big deal. You and I have never met, so I expected this... Well, okay, I didn't expect to have to meet you during a kidnapping, but whatever." She's so calm and casual. I wish I was more like that.

"So, shall we get going? Link isn't gonna wait for us all night."

I dust off my pants and stand. "Yes, let's go." I take the Horse Call to my lips and blow into it softly. Epona comes running to us. "Good girl, Epona. Come, we have some work to do."

_Link_

Oww….I feel like I got hit in the head with a brick….

Where in the world am I?

I sit there a moment to let my eyes fix themselves. "Ugh….Uh." I try to move my arms, but they wouldn't budge. "What!?" I look to find that I'm tied up to a small pole. "Hey, what in the hell is going on here!?"

The bandit from before is sitting a few feet away from me, he has dark tan skin, and a dark brown beard on his face. He glances over at me. "So, we're waking up now eh?"

He removes himself from his spot and grips my chin, he gives me a creepy grin. "Humm…You aren't as ugly as I had pictured. Then again, gossip isn't very reliable."

I glare at him as I spit in his face. "What do you want with me?"

He doesn't seem amused by this. I can tell by the way he wipes the spit off and growls at me.

"You miserable little bitch." He slaps me in the mouth. "You're in no position to be demanding anything," He leans in closer to my face. "Especially with a little one in you."

I sit there and stare at him suspiciously. "What was on the arrow?"

"Only a paralysis salve. Nothing that will damage anything."

I grit my teeth. "You knew that I was going to go this way, didn't you?"

"Those villagers mentioned that the girl was defending you the other day, and they also knew she was from Ordon. I knew that she'd eventually ask you to come with her, so I just had to wait."

"You damn bastard!" I half shout, stopping as I cringe at a pain in my side. Damnit, the baby was acting up again.

"Oh, are we having cramps?" Gods, I hate his voice, and the fact that he's talking like that. I hate his face, I hate his smug look, and I HATE the way he keeps referring to my child.

"Don't touch me." I snarl; I can feel my blood boiling. This man has no right to touch me; he has no right to have me tied up like this! I want to snap! I want to lash out!

He inches closer, his nose just barely touching mine. "Should I take this as a threat?"

I shiver as he runs his hand over my stomach. "Because I'm the one holding all the cards."

The bastard has a point; I'm in no position to make demands. Sometimes I really hate being pregnant.

The bandit leader stands and walks over to his tent. As he enters it, he shouts. "Keep an eye on him. He's a feisty one."

Ilia... Midna... Anyone... please get here soon...

_Midna _

"Come on, Epona! We gotta go faster!" Ilia urges her horse further on. I can see that she's extremely worried. The look in her eyes says it all. I admit I feel the same way.

"Do you have any clue to where they might be?"

It only takes me a second to remember. "Yes I do. Are you familiar with Horse Grass?"

"Of course, we have lots of it in Ordon. Why, did you see them carrying some?"

"I smelt it on their clothes. Where is there Horse Grass in this region?"

"Yes, Faron has lots of Horse Grass. And I know just where they would be camping."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes I am."

The two of us ride on into the Faron Woods. It's actually quite a cheery little forest. Little flowers everywhere, along with what appears to be part of a ladder lying around. Wonder what on earth a ladder is doing here? Aw, forget it, this is not a time to ponder such things.

I can see hoof prints in the dirt. "They must have passed through here."

"You're right, Midna." Ilia gives the area a once-over, hoping to find anything of interest. "Let's continue." She spurs her horse onward. I have to grab onto her shoulder for dear life! This horse is so fast; I could have easily been thrown off!

"ILIA! You could have warned me!"

Within a few seconds we're deep into the forest, finding more recent tracks as we go.

"Hey, Midna?" Ilia glances around. "Do you smell smoke?"

I nod. "Yeah, someone must have started a fire nearby, which means...!"

Just then we hear someone shouting in the distance. "Sac're bleu!"

"It's them!" I shout. "That's one of the cronies! I recognize the accent!"

Yet again Ilia kicks the horse into high gear, almost knocking me off. "We're coming, Link!"

_Ilia _

The campsite is finally in view. And I see Link!

Oh no….. Poor Link…. He looks miserable, tied to that pole.

Humm…There are 2 guards that I can see. So I might stand a chance, with Midna's help, of course. Who knows what the imp can do...

The smaller guard was over by Link, whimpering over his hurt hand. "Why do you bite me?!" he whines.

Link spits on the ground. "Because you're an ass." Ugh, boys will be boys.

"Are you ready?" I ask Midna.

"Yup." She pumps her little arms. "I can't wait to take these jerks on."

What a trooper. She's got this fire inside her, which makes her so brave. I wish I had such a fire.

I slowly make my way to the camp, hiding in the bushes with Midna close behind me. Neither of us make a sound.

"Okay," I whisper. "On the count of 3, we attack, got it?

Midna gives me the okay sign with her tapered fingers. "Gotcha."

"1….2….3!" I reach for my slingshot and aim at the smaller guard's head. "Fire!"

_Thwa-toing! _I let a pumpkin seed fly into his forehead. "YEOWCH!"

"Clouse!" The burly guard came rushing to his aid. "Are you okay? What hit you?" He then notices the seed. "You got beaned with a pumpkin seed."

"Ere 'id thaut thing come from?" The smaller guard was still holding his head.

"ATTACK!" Midna bounds out of the bush and latches onto the burly guard's head.

"ACK! Raccoon!"

Midna is not flattered. "I'm NOT A RACCOON!" She then begins to poke him in the eyes, without the claws her raccoon form had given her. But as far as I know, those pointed fingers could be just as sharp.

I on the other hand ran over to Link, who was more than ecstatic to see us, a hopeful grin coming to his discouraged face.

I can't help myself as I embrace him. I was so afraid that something might have happened to him. But he's safe now, and I'm eternally grateful to the goddesses who watched over him.

"...I knew you two would come."

"I know, Link, I know. We're going to get you out of here." I take a knife that I found lying nearby and cut the ropes on his wrists. He stares at them, checking for any blisters or cuts. Luckily there were none. I help him to his feet as he wobbles slightly.

"How are we going to get out of here?" he questions quickly.

"How else?" I call her again with the Horse Call. She comes stampeding through the camp, knocking over both the guards and Midna.

"OW, HEY!" She grabs onto Epona's saddle, though, so she I think she's fine.

The two of us quickly climb onto my horse's back. "Yah! Git up, Epona!"

But it seems the smaller goon isn't about to let us leave. "Eh! Wat are you doo'ing!? You steupid girl!"

I'm not sure what to do to get rid of him at first, but then it seems Link had found my slingshot, from which he fired another seed at his head. "Ah, Shaddap!" Wow, and it's dead center; maybe he's used one before.

I'm fighting the temptation to laugh. "Nice shot."

"Thank you, thank you." He bows a little, as much as he could upon a horse with a full stomach. "Now, let's get going before big boy and his boss get us!" As if right on cue, the leader of the bandits steps out of his tent. And he doesn't look all too happy to see me here.

"You!" He screams. "You damn, meddling girl!"

"I think that's our cue to leave now. Thanks for the great time!" I kick Epona hard, causing her to rear up, but Link and Midna grab onto me so they don't fall. "GO, GIRL!"

She plows through the forest with such speed; I've never seen Epona go this fast before.

I like it!

"WooHoo!" Link whoops and hollers as we dash to Ordon. Link is a boy after all; it's in their blood to love adventure and danger.

Speaking of danger, I see neither hide nor hair of "tall, dark, and creepy"; I guess he gave up… Oh, I sure hope he has.

"So?" He rests his head on my shoulder. "How much further to Ordon?" he asks quietly, his voice sounding... adorably tired.

I try to hide the slight blush on my cheeks. "Not much, just over the bridge and we're there."

Oh, Link….Why do you have to do such cute things? Wait?...Did I just say he was CUTE!? No, no, let me correct myself, I said the things he DOES are cute. But that's the same thing. Oh dear me….

"Alright," He lets out a loud yawn. "I'm so tired…I haven't slept in days, and that paralyzing stuff really takes it out of you."

"Well, don't you worry, you can stay with me at my house. I'm sure my father won't mind, and we can get you back into perfect health in no time."

We finally cross the bridge at the end of Faron Woods.

"Link, welcome to Ordona."

**_AN: Doesn't my Midna rock? She can take over the bodies of animals! XD Like I said, this was written a while ago. Like before Twilight Princess was released. Aw, Ilia's falling for Link's charms. And Link's a little foul mouth! Naughty Naughty Link! Oh well, we can just say that those would be the signs of the onset of MOOD SWINGS! Yay mood swings! I love the way this chapter ends. It's a sort of sweet ending. Anyway, this is not the last of the Farron Bandits we'll see, they will come back in later chapters. And they'll show no mercy. Buh Bye for now! HarpyLink234._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hi! Harpy's back agian! With more A & H goodness! The next few chapters are more for filler then anything else. We do get to know the characters more though, so :D. Link, Midna, and Ilia are in Ordon now, wonder what will happen:).**_

_Link_

"Link, welcome to Ordona!" The moment she said that the sun began to rise above the mountains.

I... I can't believe my eyes. Ordona is such a …beautiful place. Sprawling fields of grass, crops of grains, a winding river... it looks like it spans for miles.

"You really have a village here?" I still don't believe that there could be a village in such a natural place. It must be really tucked away from Hyrule.

"Yup, my good old home village of Ordon." She has such a sense of pride in her home-land, and I honestly don't blame her. I'd be proud to be a part of this wondrous place too.

Midna fell asleep a few minutes ago. She looks kinda cute when she's sleeping.

I continue to take in the beauty of Ordona; even the edges of this province are mystical, especially the small spring we pass by. Ilia said it was called Ordon Spring.

No one speaks for a while. Gods, I hate awkward silences…They make me feel uncomfortable….Maybe I should say something…. But what!? I'm no good at small talk!

"Link, are you feeling alright?"

"Uh-wha?" I must have zoned out…And right in front of Ilia… Another smooth move. Great.

She seems to be a bit nervous, and she seems to be... BLUSHING?! "I uh- I mean, you looked like you were thinking hard." Is she embarrassed?

"Yeah, I'm feeling okay." I look away, embarrassed myself.

"Oh….Alright, I just wanted to know."

Wow….I never noticed before, but Ilia is….. really cute…. Everything about her is cute.

Her twisting hairstyle, those round little ears of hers, her face….

Wait….What in the hell am I saying!? Where did all of that come from!? Am I falling for Ilia!? Or was it just the pregnancy messing with my hormones?

Sigh... Even if I am, she wouldn't want me…I'm a fat freak. A big, fat, pregnant freak.

She deserves a guy who can defend her, not burden her.

"Hey, Link." I snap my attention to her as she nudges my shoulder. "We're here."

Yet again I'm captivated by the sheer wonder of this place. I peer over her to see a small rustic village, with five small houses by a tiny river, which lead to a small pond. Various gardens and small crops grow around the area.

"Well?" She looks at me with an existed gleam in her eyes. "What do you think?"

I can't find the words to express how amazed I am. "Wow…Ilia, this place... It's so much calmer then Hyrule Castle Town. And the air smells cleaner."

"That's the country for you," She tilts her head back as she takes in a big breath of country air. "Ahh…refreshing, isn't it?"

"Yeah... uh?" I stare down at my stomach. It feels like…something's…moving.

My Gods ….It's kicking for the first time! I've been waiting for it to start moving around!

I've always wondered what it felt like…. But Goddesses, it's... wow...

This is incredible... I'm finally starting to get what this test is about. The Goddesses aren't trying to torment me, no; they want to see if I have the courage to actually give birth and raise a child.

A child…My child….

"What's wrong, Link?" Ilia was giving me a puzzled expression. "Something wrong with the baby?"

I can't take my eyes off of my stomach, placing my hand over it for support. "No, no, it's okay...the baby's kicking, for the first time. It... took me by surprise, that's all."

Ilia doesn't seem fazed by this at all. In fact, she seems to be happy. "Heh, isn't it a little trooper. After all you've been through, it still has the strength to kick around in there."

She pats my stomach affectionately.

Gods, I hope she didn't see me blush. "Uh, yeah…I guess you're right."

She gives me a warm smile and pokes my belly, addressing the baby inside. "Yup, and don't you worry about your papa, kiddo. We're gonna get him nice and healthy, so you don't need to worry about him anymore."

I can't help but laugh. My gods, was that a goofy little speech. Ilia's so much different then all of the other girls I've ever met. She's nice, funny, gentle, and a fiery little she-devil when she wants to be.

She makes a face. "Wait, if you're having the baby, shouldn't I be calling you mama?"

"Hey!" I playfully nudge her arm. "Give me some credit, here!"

"I'm only joking, jeez, keep your shirt on." The two of us just keep snickering, trying to catch our breath. As we do, our eyes meet.

"Uh…Maybe we should head to my house." She quickly turns away, her face red as a tomato.

My face probably looks just as red, if not even more so. I keep making myself look like a fool. Well, it's not my fault! It's these stupid hormones! I know it!

We got to Ilia's little cottage. It was a big house, 2 stories, with double doors and little red banners hung from different corners.

She slides off of Epona. "Get off, you goof! Epona needs a rest."

Ugh, I wanna sit…Oh well. I slowly got myself off the horse. Epona neighs in relief, glad that all that weight was off her back, like she was calling me fat…What a nice horse.

"PAPA!" Ilia shouts as she throws a pebble at a window. "I'm HOME!"

"Ilia!" The doors suddenly slam open, causing a loud THUD that can be heard from several feet away and make me jump 3 feet in the air and falling flat on my butt.

"Ouch, my ass….." I nurse the injury to my rump. Ouch.. that really hurt.

From beyond the doors stood a rather pudgy, but well-built man, he looks to be in his early 40's, with a strange turned up mustache.

"Ilia! My sweet little girl!" He catches her in a bone crushing hug. "I missed you so much, girly."

Ilia looks like she's being suffocated. "Daddy, Ugh…Owww...Your smooshing me..."

He then sees me sitting in the dirt and rubbing my back. "Hey now, who's this?"

I freeze up. Turning my head up slowly, my eyes as wide as plates.

Ilia finally gets free of her father's hug of death. "Ugh.. Daddy, this is Link. He's the boy from town I talked to you about."

I mentally gulp. Dear Gods! He's gonna squish me! NO HUG OF DEATH!! PLEASE NO HUG OF DEATH! I got a baby in me!

"So this is the kid you were talkin' about eh? Well, he don't look too bad." He pokes my head. "Hello, ya'll in there?"

"Daddy," Ilia drags him away. "Give him some space. He's had a rough time."

"Oh," He rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'm really sorry bout that."

I reach my hand out. "Uh... a little help..?"

Ilia rushes over and pulls me up. "Sorry, Link."

Her father clears his throat. "Eh hem, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Mayor Bo." He roughly shakes my hand. From the handshake alone, I can tell where Ilia gets all her energy from. "I'm the one in charge of all things that go on in this village. Let me introduce you to all the folks, they'd be happy to meet you."

Bo cups his hands around his mouth, taking a deep breath he shouts out, "TOWN MEETING! EVERYBODY UP!"

Wow, that's something I'm not going to be happy to wake up to in the morning.

And with the disgruntled shouts coming form al the cottages, I can tell the villagers don't seem to like the idea either.

Slowly the doors on every little cottage open. Out come very angry and tired villagers, each muttering about 'blasted town meetings' and 'Bo's gone crazy again.'

I'm actually in favor of that second one.

In total the crowd was made up of about eleven people, not including myself, Ilia, Bo, or the un-seeable Midna. The group included four children, a young man about my age, and couples that were about 30 to 40 years old.

"Okay, Bo," one of the men steps forward, a tall man with a sword strapped to his side. He seems less aggravated and more cool-headed than the others. "What's this all about now?"

"Well, we've got a Hylian on our footsteps looking for a home." He looks over at me. "Care to explain it to them?"

I gulp, unsure at all their curious faces. They're looking at me in such a strange way... but it's definitely not the hateful look I got from the townspeople. That much I know and take comfort in.

Then one of the children steps up. His blonde hair is cut neatly and he shyly looks up at me, eyeing my belly first, then me. "...Are... are you having a baby?"

"Er... yes. I am."

He looks back at a woman (from her looks it must be his mother), and at her nod, he turns back to me and murmurs politely, "Congratulations, ma'am."

I stand there, dumbfounded. I can hear Ilia beside me, making every effort to keep from laughing.

The boy makes a face at her. "What's so funny, Ilia?"

"N-nothing, nothing, Colin," she snorts. "But Link's really not a ma'am."

Colin thinks this over. So do the other kids that are hovering behind him. Then another boy's mouth opens in a little "o" of surprise. Oh, no, here it comes...

"He's a boy having a baby?!"

"Ooh, Talo! That's so RUDE!" The only girl slaps his shoulder with a disapproving pout. "Do you HAVE to embarrass everyone you meet?!"

"Hey, leave me alone, Beth! It's just weird, that's all! Geez..."

Weird...?

"Hey, both of you, enough." The same calm man cools them down, then turns to face me. His face is pensive, but patient. "Let's allow him to explain before we make our judgments."

And then they all stare at me expectedly, waiting for me to start. But with that first response, my confidence had gone straight down the drain.

Ilia nudges me. "Go on, Link."

Then the baby kicks again, as if urging me to begin too. I place a hand on it, the hand with the Triforce symbol on it, so that everyone can see it.

"W-well... s-see the symbol, on my hand? It means I'm a... chosen one. A chosen one that's supposed to take the Goddesses' test of strength and courage... and the test involves... having a child."

"So, the Goddesses gave you the child, is that it?" Colin's mother asks. "As well as the means for your body to support it?"

"Uh-huh." Well, at least they understand that. Now here comes the hard part. I can feel my eyes begin to sting already as I remember. "W-when the people in Hyrule Castle Town heard about it... I-I thought they would understand..." I can feel the tears flow down my cheeks, but I don't care anymore. "I thought they'd help me, give me support... b-but they... they thought I was a freak... that my baby was an abomination... They rejected my needs, attempted many times to beat on me and the baby, burned my home down, accused me of stealing...!" I found myself unable to go on any further through the sobs wracking my throat.

Many of them gasp, but their reasons I don't know, because I stare at ground hopelessly, afraid of their reaction. But this is what I hear.

"Oh, that's terrible!"

"What a bunch of disgusting, no-good dung-eaters!"

"How could those horrid people do that to you?!"

I... I can't believe it. They're... sympathetic. They ... they care!

I look up and see them all with shocked looks on their faces, but this time it was not me that was the source. It was my story, and they all cared, every single one of them cared. It's... unreal.

"Oh, Link..." A slightly portly woman with a cat at her heels steps up and takes my hand. "That's simply tragic. How awful of those people."

"Yeah!" A small man enthusiastically raises his fist. "They should be catering to your every whim!"

"Now, now, let's not go that far," Colin's mother reminds. "He's still taking a test, remember. But that gives no one any excuse to hate him."

"Of course not!" Another woman, who looks like a hard worker, states. "Well, you can stay with us, fella. We're a simple village, so we can't pamper you, but we'll give you a roof to rest under and anything else you or the baby needs."

I gaze at all of them unbelievingly. "You... you really mean it?"

"Of course we do!" Bo laughs. "...uh? What're you crying for?"

"..I... I just..." Dangit, I hate when I get this emotional. But... "...I've never... No one's ever understood... I've never m-met people... who're... so nice..."

And what follows is a tight little circle of the village people gathering around me, patting my shoulder and smiling kindly. The children all squeeze in to inspect my tummy, and Beth gives the baby inside a hug, giggling when it kicks again. Everyone around me is greeting me with open arms, all of them equally compassionate. It's all so new to me, but... it's wonderful.

"Poor boy, you got cuts all over your arms, a bump on your head, and my Gods! A large wound on your shoulder." Then the portly woman gasps. "We have to get you inside and treat you!"

As they push me towards the closest house, Ilia smiles at me. "I told you they'd care."

They…care…..Finally….people who actually care….

I'm shoved into a small cottage, the women of the village swarming around me.

"Poor boy, you got cuts all over your arms, and you have a bump on your head."

The portly woman goes into a cupboard and takes a towel, dipping it into the water bucket.

"Here, now put this on your head and the bump should go away."

"Thank you."

Colin's mother examines the cuts. "We don't want them to get infected, Hey Sera, can you get me some herbs? We need to make some ointment."

The portly woman nods. "Sure thing, Uli."

Oh, so I now know some of their names. This will make conversation so much easier.

"You don't need to do all of this." I smile shyly; I'm not used to this. They're caring for my needs, and making sure I feel better. This is too much.

Sera comes back with some leaves and roots. "Here, this should be enough."

Uli takes the ingredients and places them in a wooden mortar. "Thank you, Sera." She begins to mash them to a fine paste. Then she plucks out a long white cloth, possibly a bandage.

"Okay, this will sting for a bit." I brace myself as Uli gently rubs the paste on my arms, Sera does the same with my shoulder. DEAR GODS! She wasn't kidding when she said it would sting! It feels like a thousand bees are attacking my nerves!

They tie the bandages, to cover my cuts. Uli pats my head. "That should do the trick."

"Oh, that feels much better. Thank you, both of you."

I see Ilia wiggling in between the women, a huge grin on her face. She's holding some blankets and a pillow. "Hey, Link! I talked to Daddy; he said you can stay with me!"

I can hear the older women chuckling amongst themselves. What's the big joke? I don't get it….Oh well.

"Yawn…..I'm so tired."

Ilia smiles, taking my hand she walks me to her house.

"Come on Link, it's time you went to bed."

**_A/N: Aww, Link's gone through so much hasn't he? Well, the hard times aren't over for him, not by a long shot. The baby finally kicked! Warm fuzzies all around! Well, for now, soon Link is going to hate that. Midna got no screen time today, well don't worry, she'll be around in the next chapter. And speaking of next chapter:D Link is gonna get a big surprise next time! What is it? You'll find out in Chapter 5. Lots of fluffy Harpy feathers! Harpy Link234._**


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